Tag Archives: AA meetings

FAMILIES OF ALCOHOLICS WANT TO KNOW
“WHAT HE’LL HEAR WHEN HE GOES TO THOSE A.A. MEETINGS.”

What is often underlying that question is the fear that no one will tell him how serious this disease is . . . that no one will tell him that he must go to A.A. meetings a lot . . . that no one will tell him that he must stop drinking—and stay stopped.

What he’ll most probably hear from the old timers in A.A meetings:

1.) ”Don’t drink if your rear-end falls off. And if it falls off, put it in a basket and take it to a meeting.”

2.) ”Meeting-makers make it”—almost all relapses occur because people stopped going to meetings.

(Even if the speaker says he ‘slipped’ and doesn’t say why—if you ask the person privately after the A.A. meeting, ”did you stop going to meetings?” the response is almost always ‘yes’).

3.) What’s dangerous about “slips” (relapses)? As the old timers will tell the newcomer, ”you know you have another drunk in you, but you don’t know if you have another recovery in you” (i.e., you may feel like you can ‘slip and slide’ and go in and out of A.A. at will—and that ”a little slip that only lasts a short time doesn’t really count”).

But one day, the way this disease works, you probably will lose the choice and won’t be able to go back even if you want to. In other words, each ‘slip’, no matter ‘how long’ or ‘how short’, is akin to playing Russian Roulette with your life.

What is “Getting Them Sober”?
“Getting Them Sober”, by Toby Rice Drews, is the million-selling series of books—endorsed by ‘Dear Abby’, by Dr. Norman Vincent Peale, and by Melody Beattie (author of ”Codependent No More” who wrote, ”Getting Them Sober’ is the BEST book for the family of the still-drinking alcoholic”).

How are the books different from each other? What are the table of contents in each of the books?

The information given to me from "Why Don't They JUST QUIT?" has shown me that I don't have to give up on my loved one; in fact, I am now better prepared mentally, emotionally, and spiritually for any worst-case scenario thanks to this Godsend of a book.~ John S.